Senior R&D Packaging Specialist

Job description

Our customer is a well-known Italian brand, leader in the formulation and manufacturing of high-end hair and skin care products. Our search is addressed to a 

Senior R&D Packaging Specialist

Job Mission:

The job mission is to proactively support and contribute to the packaging development process, starting from pre-briefing to start-up of finished products’ first production.The goal is to guarantee the excellence of products, through the search of innovations and the use of packaging materials meeting the requirements of functionality, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and quality.  

Duties and Key Responsibilities:

• Search for innovative materials and packaging solutions.
• Evaluate technical feasibility of innovative packaging solutions.
• Manage innovative materials testing to explore feasibility of future packaging solutions.
• Run packaging scouting for new marketing projects.
• Innovation projects: development of new pack designs with design agency and internal design team; simulation, prototyping and co-development with converters.
• Validation of packaging materials produced using new moulds (technologies involved ISBM, EBM, IBM..).
• Renovation/Sustainability projects: working on projects aiming to improve the sustainability of already existing pack mixes (better recyclability; rHDPE/rPET/rPP inclusion; plastic reduction; concentration; plastic replacement).
• Create and follow the protocols in the R&D Packaging department; define better new processes, update and implement existing ones.
• Ensure that packaging components and packaging systems meet quality requirements and specifications according to Quality Department guidelines.

This role will report directly to the Research and Innovation Packaging Manager.

Person Specification and Requirements: 

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience within the same role in structured and international cosmetic companies.
• Scientific or technical academic background (Bachelor/Master’s degree in chemical engineering, materials sciences, chemistry), with specific knowledge in packaging.
• Familiarity with common lab analytical instruments and packaging processing.
• High organizational and priority management skills.
• High interpersonal communication and relational competences.
• Strong flexible, precise and proactive attitude.
• Professional knowledge of Microsoft Software (especially Excel).
• Fluent English is mandatory.
• Laboratory bench work experience in school or industry would be a plus.

Place of work: North of Italy